Are you founding a women geeks group? Then you'll probably need a name. Here are some words/terms/names you could use to show that it is for women.
Womens
Examples:
- Tends to be used in university CS groups
- Popular with Linux distros - Debian Women, FedoraWomen, Ubuntu Women, GnomWomen, KDEWomen
- (GNOME) Outreach Program for Women
- Women in Drupal - formerly DrupalChix
- PHP Women
- WikiWomen
- Ruby Women
Pros:
- Probably the most neutral term available now?
Cons:
- Doesn't rhyme with anything
- Younger women and teenagers don't necessarily associate themselves with the term
Ladies
Examples:
- PyLadies
- Lambda Ladies
- Tech Lady Mafia
Cons:
- Can feel overly old-fashioned, although it seems like the term has come back into vogue in recent years [1][2]
Female
Examples:
- Females in IT and Technology
Pros:
Cons:
Girls
Examples:
- Black Girls Code (for girls)
- [Go Girl, Go for IT]] (for girls)
- Girl Geek Dinners
- DjangoGirls
Pros:
- One syllable
Cons:
- Off-putting/infantilising for (at least some) older women
- Can be confusing to actual intent of audience
Grrls
Examples:
- ?
Pros/Cons:
- Rad 90s RiotGrrl zine vibe
Chicks/Chix
Examples:
- LinuxChix
- WikiChix
- CodeChix
- DevChix
- DrupalChix (changed to Women in Drupal]]
Pros/Cons:
- Pretty 90s.
Dolls
Examples:
Pros/Cons:
- Very informal
Sisters
Examples:
- Systers
- CSters (a university group)
Cons:
- Suggests a level of closeness that may be offputting for a casual group.
Feminist
Examples:
Pros/Cons:
Divas
- Digital Divas (for girls)
Cons:
- Very exclusionary to women who are not traditionally feminine
Abbreviation that uses one of the above terms
Examples:
- WisCon W=Women
- WoMoz W=Women
Pro:
- If you can make a nice acronym it can work well
Con:
- Can be obscure
Name reference to a famous woman in the field
- Ada Initiative
- Disreputable Order of Hopperites
- Edinburgh University Hoppers
Pros:
- Different
Cons:
- May be too obscure
==Borrowing from other languages]] Examples:
- Haecksen
Cons:
- Obscure, could be appropriative